Eighteen-year-old Dubios Slater has his eyes set on the construction market in the Middle East after recently completing a short course on drywall plastering under the Jamaica National Service Corps Residential Camp which involves the HEART/NSTA TRUST.

The teen told OBSERVER ONLINE on Friday, during the official launch of the programme, that it has transformed his life and thoughts positively.

The aim of the six weeks programme is designed to take unattached youngsters from marginalised communities and carry them through various skills training and character development.

“Before the programme I did nothing. I was basically a cruff and was doing nothing with my life. We never had any dreams, only nightmares. Typical ghetto life, where things will happen and your name call seh you a do this and you a do that. We got the opportunity to jump out and show our class and to let people know that we have talents too. Now we get a glimpse, we jump out because we need to know that we have dreams too,” Slater explained.

He said he wants to eventually be the best drywall maker, not only in the Caribbean but on a global level.

“I want to establish a proper business that the whole world knows. My dream is to reach the Middle East. I want to work with the likes of MBS, Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Those are the people I want to get contracts with and I want them to have a link with Jamaica. Right now I feel good to know I took the first step. I probably have 1,000 more steps to take, but I am going to reach it one day,” he said, calling the programme exceptional and praising it for introducing him to new technologies and other things he never knew before.

Nineteen-year-old Britanny Lawrence, a resident of Allman Town in Kingston told OBSERVER ONLINE that participating in the programme has helped to steady her mind.

She has benefited immensely from the life skills and behavioural coaching she was exposed to during the programme. Lawrence shared that she had been in ‘approved’ school because of her former propensity for conflict.

“The first time I got into the programme I was confused and wanted to go back home. Six weeks from home for me was like ‘Oh My God’. It actually turned out nicely and I enjoyed myself. I got the opportunity to experience graduation and it taught me never to give up.”

She added: “I did data entry and I feel good. I want to do more. I was actually placed in the House of Parliament, so I am just waiting on the call to start working. I am grateful. If I get another opportunity I would definitely go back to a next camp. Before the camp, mi used to give trouble. I used to fight a lot. I said I wanted a change so I went for it,” Lawrence said.

Before the programme, 22-year-old Kenry Palmer was working at a small store in Spanish Town, St Catherine and made a bold move to leave the job to learn a skill. He was introduced to drywall plastering and he loved it. He also forged new friendships.

“The programme was exhilarating, exciting and fun. We learned a lot and we met a lot of new friends. I really enjoyed myself through the programme. I basically learned the basics of drywall. I learned about all the different types of walls and the different types of compounds. I feel to push for more and more experience in the field. The course usually doesn’t take six weeks,” he said.

“It is a six-month course but they tried to teach us what they could in the six weeks. At least we now know the basics and the basics sets the foundation of everything. I would like to be able to recommend other people to the programme,” Palmer said.